Official blog of Taste Master Western Australia. I’m on the food-loving adventure of a lifetime, foraging my way through WA’s culinary and geographical awesomeness!

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20 December 2013

Mark “The Black Olive” Olive

Mark Olive is a man with a plan.

And it’s a far GREATER plan than just teaching us how to cook pancakes with muntrie berries and wattle seed (although they were really tasty).

Mark is a renowned Indigenous Chef and part of a plan at the Roelands Mission to teach young Indigenous adults how to cook using ingredients from the bush. But much more than that, it’s about teaching vital social skills and life skills.

Whilst driving through Australia’s South West we popped by to hear about the great work they’re doing and to swot up on bush food and Indigenous ingredients.

The Finger Lime is native to Australia and has been used as a food source for many thousands of generations by the Australian Aboriginal people

The inside of the finger lime is quite similar to fish roe

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Situated about 160km south of Perth, there’s a ten strong team at Roelands teaching not just cookery, catering and hospitality, but helping the younger Indigenous generation understand important lessons about their history. Old craft techniques are taught and stories are told through music and spoken word, reconnecting them back to the land.

The confidence and sense of identity these teachings instill give the students a brighter opportunity for the future.

Learning through Indigenous music and song with Troy

“You gotta blow the didge like this”

“Like this?”

“Nah brutha, like THIS!”

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BUT ANYWAY, back to those pancakes!

A lot of bush fruits are quite tart making them great for desserts. In our pancakes we used a combination of muntrie berries and wattle seed. The berries have an apple and cinnamon taste adding a lot of flavour, and we mixed the ground down wattle seed with cold water to add a touch of savoury.

Mixing the ground wattle seed with cold water. It can also be drank as a kind of coffee substitute

All you need for this recipe are muntrie berries and a good attitude

Whisking the eggs

Prepping in the Roelands Mission kitchen

Prepping the Roelands Mission BBQ

My pancakes were nowhere near as round and perfect as Mark ‘The Black Olive’ Olive’s

Pancake Inspection Number 1

Pancake Inspection Number 2. Yes, everything seems to be going to plan

I think I’m going to flip this pancake

Yes. I’m DEFINITELY going to flip this pancake

WAAAHHEEYYYY!!

…..AND ANOTHER!!!!

“Now what have I told you about flipping pacakes?”

“Only joking, flip away!”

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If you’re in the area and have the chance, pop into the Roelands Mission and say hello. They’re doing great work for the local community and any support they receive is greatly appreciated by the fantastic team they have working there.